Friday, 25 May, 2007

by Anne Barker
The World Today

ELEANOR HALL: The Federal Government is a step closer to finally finding a site for an Australian nuclear waste repository.

It's more than three years since the Government's last attempt to set up a nuclear waste dump was stymied by the South Australian Government.

But today the Northern Land Council has announced that the Ngapa traditional owners in the Northern Territory have agreed to a deal that would see the low and intermediate level radioactive waste buried on their land about 100 kilometres north of Tennant Creek.

In return they'd receive a $12 million compensation package from the Federal Government.

Joining us now in Nhulunbuy with details of the agreement is Anne Barker.

So Anne, how important is this agreement for the Federal Government?

ANNE BARKER: Eleanor, this could be the answer to a very long running problem for the Federal Government. As you remember they've had very huge opposition not just in South Australia but also from a lot of groups in the Northern Territory. Now they have the agreement of traditional owners and an offer of land that appears to be suitable and politically acceptable for the Government to choose it.

But remember this is not a fait accompli. The Federal Government hasn't done any studies yet on the land at Muckaty Station. They (inaudible) before they can give it the go ahead, and they still have to assess three other defence land sites that they have been looking at in the Northern Territory. But you have to wonder how (inaudible) this has been struck...(inaudible) EIS (environmental impact statement) process�

ELEANOR HALL: Anne, you're dropping out a little bit there, but what exactly have the traditional owners agreed to?

ANNE BARKER: They have agreed to accept low level waste and intermediate radioactive waste in the longer term (inaudible)...about five cubic metres of low level (inaudible) ... in Australia. They've agreed that they will lose the ownership of (inaudible) possibly around 200 years. During that period the Federal Government will actually own the land as freehold. They will truck in, truckloads of waste will come in over a basis of 50 years.

But the legislation that was amended last year allows for that land to be returned to traditional ownership as soon as the land is deemed safe at the end of the radioactive period, when that waste has officially broken down. And of course, there is $12 million in compensation for that.

ELEANOR HALL: So how important was the $12 million compensation package in securing the deal, and where will the money be spent?

ANNE BARKER: Well look, it was absolutely crucial, without that offer, this would never have happened. And in fact, it was the financial spin-off that was really the motivation for traditional owners coming forward in the first place. They said they would spend that money, if they do receive it, on issues like education, building... (inaudible).

ELEANOR HALL: We seem to have lost Anne Barker there.